SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The Spanish Fort Elementary School Lead Poisoning Relief fund is getting help from Barnes and Noble Booksellers at the Eastern Shore Centre.

The school approached the store for assistance because of the recent finding of lead in the paint on certain school structures.

Barnes and Noble has been offering a bookfair where customers can receive vouchers on purchases and a percent of the net sale will be donated to the relief fund.

Community relations manager Patricia Mackey said the store has had a considerable response from the public, the parents and the parent teacher organization of the school. The bookfair will end tomorrow, Feb. 29.

Mackey said it is very simple to participate in helping the teachers replace the books and items they lost due to the temporary closing of the school and the disposal of certain classroom items.

“The book fair is a partnership with Barnes and Nobles and local schools to raise money to help the school,” she said. “The money will go back to the school to buy more books.”

According to Mackey, it is a win-win situation for both the school and the store and brings fundraising dollars to the school. Since Barnes and Nobles offers almost 10,000 book titles as well as more than 2,000 DVDs and CDs and coffee items, customers have a good range of choices.

The teachers need replacement books, Mackey said, and one second grade teacher lost more than 500 book titles. She said the second through fifth grade teachers lost their books which have been acquired over many years of teaching.

“We have been pleased with the turn-out so far. Customers still have time to buy by the 29th,” she said.